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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 213, page id 778263916:0229
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Names et Substances.
vares oF our Bodies; ve can no ochererise distinguistr in our Conceptions
the several Species oF Spirits, one From another, but by acrributins those
Operations and Porvers, e find in our selves, co them; in a higher or
loirer derree; and so hare neither distinct specitickE Ldeas ot Spirius, ex-
cept only oF COD, tomhom We actribure borh Duration, and all thole
ocher Ideas with Intinier; eo the ocher Spirits, with limitation, amonest
irhich, e malce no distinction: Nor do Wve, betreen COD and them
in our Ideas, pur anz difference by anr number of simple Ideos, Which we
have oF one, and not of the other, buc onlr that ot Infinier. AII the par-
ticular Ideas oF Existence, Knowledse, Will, Porer, and Motion, (5c.
beins Ideas derived trom the Operations ol our Minds, we actribure aII
oEehem io all sorts oF Spirits, ith the difference only ol degrees, to the
utmost ve can imaginc, even Intinier When ve vould frame, a5. vell 20
WWe can, an Pdea oF the Arst Being; Wrho yet, tis certain, is infinicelr more
remore. in the real Excellener ot his Nacure, trom the hichest and per-
fectes of all created Beings, much more from wtrat our narro Vnder-
Pandinos can conceire ot FTim, than ehe DrCaFCA MTaH, nay, purest Se-
raphim, is fromthe most contemptible part ot Matter.
5. F2. TE is not impossible to conceire, nor repugnant to Realon, that
there mar De many Species of Spirits, as much separated and diversitied
one trom another br distinet Properties, Wrhereotire have no Ideas, a5
the Species ot senlible Thinss are distinguithred one trom another, by
Oualicies, which e bno, and obserre inthem. That there Mould BC
more Species ot intelligent Creatures above us, than there are ot senli-
ble and material belor us, is probable to me trom henco; That in aII the
visible corporeal WVorid, We sec no Chalms, Or CTapS. AII quire down
FrOm uS, the descent is by easie Repo, and a continued series oF Things
thac in cach remove, difter very little one trom the otter. There are
Filbres that have Wings, and are noc Strangers tothe airy Region: and
there are some Birds, that are Inhabitants of the Water; Whole Bloud is
cold as Fistes, and their Fles in taste so near akrin, that the Scrupulous
are allo d them on Fistr. daYS. There are AnimalS (O near OF Kin BOtH
to Birds and Beals, that ther are in the middle betreen both: Amphi-
bious Animals linte the Terrestrial and Aquarique tosether; Scales live
aE Land and at Sea, and Porpoiles have ihe varm Blond and Entrails of
an FTOS, noc to mention what is considently reported of Mermaids, or
Sea-en. There are lome Brutes, that scem to have as much Rnomledse
and Reason, as lome that are called Mer: and the Animal and Vegetabse
Ringdoms, are loncarty join dthat il rou ill talle che lorrest ot onc, and
chehisheit of the other, chere will scarce be perceived aur great diste.
rence betreen them; and so on till e come to the lorrest and the most
inorganical parES OF NaLEer, ive Mall find everr-WherO, that the several
Species are liritced together, and ditter bur in almost insenlible desrees. And
ertien re consider the infinite Porver and Wisdom oftheMater, we have
reason to thintu, thar it is suirable ro the magnificent LParmony or the
Vniverse, and the great Delign atid infinire Coodness of the Architect,
Ehat the Species ot Creatures Phould alo, by sentlo deorces, alcend up.
ward trom us tomards his intinire Perfection, as we sec ther gradually
descend tromus downrards: Wrhich is it be probable, re have reason
then tobe perliraded, thae there are tar more Species ol Creatures above
us, than chere are beneath; Wre beitis, in desrees of Pertection, much
riore remiote from the intinite Bcing OE GOD, than We are from thc
loest ctate oF Beirs, and that Which approaches nearest tonothins. And
vec otali chose distinet Species, sor ehe realeris above Paidi; We haveno di
Ideas.
diit